De L'autre Côté
by Tina Chaves1
Summary: After the finale, Ross and Rachel have moved to Paris. Now, it's 7 years later and Rachel is getting ready to celebrate her 40th birthday.
1. Chapter 1

**De L'autre Côté**  
by Tina

So here's the deal: I will probably never get over this of this fandom. I cannot believe it's been over 6 years since "Friends" has ended. And I cannot believe how long I've been writing about it. And yes, I still love it.

Now, bear in mind most of my many, _many_ fanfics (these 14 stories here are just a part of them) were written when I was in high school and in college. I am now 26 (!) years old and I have a full time job, so it's not as easy for me to find the time to write now. But, as I've said, I will probably never get over this fandom. So I still think about it and I still come up with ideas for new stories.

In the past year, I've had two major ideas I got really excited about and this is one of them. I will try really hard to find the time for it, I really enjoy writing. And, also, I would specially like to thank from the bottom of my heart everyone who's ever bothered to take the time to write me a review. Why? You're the ones who basically talked me into giving this another go.

I've had these ideas, but I wasn't very sure wether I should put them down into words and write this. Well, OK, to be completely honest, I did start writing this a while ago, but it wasn't until a few days back that I decided to finish it. It happened after I decided to check my old e-mail account (the one all my reviews and other things go to) and I saw how many "new" reviews I had. I read all the sweet things you've written and, well... You've melted my little heart :) So I decided to make the effort.

OK... Sorry about the very long note :)

Now, about the plot: long story short, after the series finale Ross and Rachel ended up moving to Paris together after all. Life just wasn't the same in NYC with everything changing - Monica and Chandler having the twins and moving to the suburbs, Joey heading off to Los Angeles, Phoebe starting a family with Mike... Now it's 7 years later, Ross and Rachel are married, she is turning 40 years old and feels much, much different than she did when she turned 30. They still have contact with the others, the Geller-Green family visits a lot and the others visit them in France whenever possible. Oh, and let's say that for the sake of this story Ben is like 17, OK?

This isn't going to be just a Ross and Rachel story. It's going to involve Monica a lot, and Chandler too. Anyway, the rest you'll find out throughout the chapters. I hope you like it! :) Reviews are very welcome - it wouldn't be me if I didn't say that, come on.

Oh, and I don't really speak French, so you'll have to forgive my possible (OK, very likely!) mistakes. Pardon me! I'm still a bit unsure about the title, but it'll have to do!

* * *

from: Monica Geller B.  
to: Rachel Geller  
date: Thu, Apr 21, 2011 at 9:15 AM  
subject: Re: My big 40th bash!

Dear Rachel,

I'm really sorry I don't come with better news. I really miss you guys too, a lot, but next month will be impossible for us to visit. As you know, the twins are in school and can't miss that many days. As for me, things have been crazy at the restaurant. I've just hired a new manager and he's still under an experimental phase. I can't leave him running the place now, it's too soon. You know how I feel about that place, it's too hard for me to control my trust issues sometimes.

Still, I'm happy to know things are going well in your side of the globe and that you're facing the big four-oh with such grace. I'm proud of you, sister! And tell me, how was Italy? It seems like you guys are always traveling now, it's hard to keep track of all the places you've been to since you've moved.

Last weekend the twins were in a school play, I'm attaching a few pictures for you. Erica was the lead and she also did a bit of singing, it was a success! Jack did some improvising, which amused his father very much (not so sure if the teacher felt the same way though).

Gotta run now, got a full day ahead of me. Take care!

Love,

Monica

On Wednesday, Apr 20, 2011 at 10:14 PM, Rachel Geller wrote:

Hey Mon!

"How you doin'?" :)

Every thing's going great over here, same old parisian life! I'm writing you because I've just decided to throw a big birthday party to celebrate my 40th, next month. I'd dwell on it and make a little fuss about it, but since I'm the last of the gang to join in the 40 thing, I won't... It's gotten old by now, I know. Besides, we all know that 40 is the new 30! (Or so I keep telling myself...)

Anyway! I'm letting you know now so you can book some tickets and come over, I'd love if if you were here to share this moment with me. It's been a while since we've last seen each other (can't believe it's been 4 months since we've last visited!), I really miss you all. Besides, I'm afraid that my optimism won't last very long and I'm gonna need some moral support! We all remember how "well" I handled my 30th.

Also, it's been three years already since you and Chandler last visited. So much has changed here since then! The new apartment is finally 100% done and with my new hours at work it will be much easier to take you guys around. You could also consider bringing Jack and Erica this time, they're old enough and I'm sure Emma and Lucas will love having their cousins around.

I'm going a business trip to Milan tomorrow. Ross will meet me there in a couple of days so we can hit Tuscany together. We'll be back next week and I hope I have good news in my mailbox then, alright? :)

Love,

Rach

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Rachel was halfway through the pictures when Ross entered the room, telephone in hand, smiling brightly.

"Alright... Alright. Well, I'll talk to Rachel about it and I'll get back to you, OK?" There was a pause. "OK, I'll call you back tomorrow. Take care, bye."

He hung up the phone and beamed at Rachel, who couldn't help but smile back despite her disappointment with Monica's e-mail.

"Talk to me about what?"

Ross threw the phone playfully from one hand to another.

"That was Carol, she had two good news."

"OK...?"

"First: my boy's got a girl!"

"Ben's got a girlfriend?"

"Yup! And Carol said she was really pretty too." Ross paused as though he'd just realized something. "Is that a little disturbing?"

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Don't start, Ross."

"Well, anyway... Carol said it's been going on for a while, but she's just found out herself. It's pretty serious, though, he took her to have dinner at their place and everything."

"Aw, that's cute." Rachel smiled, well knowing her husband. "You must be very pleased with yourself."

Ross tried to act cool.

"I'm just saying... My boy, you know? He's got a girl."

Rachel stifled a chuckle.

"What's the other news?"

Ross set the phone down on the coffee table and joined Rachel on the couch.

"Well, here's the thing... Ben's gonna get a couple of weeks off of school next month and he was wondering if he could come over and stay with us. Carol said he's been considering applying for colleges here too, so this would be like a chance for him to look around. And, well, the girlfriend's thinking about coming too. Is that OK?"

"Oh, honey, of course. Wow, you must be so thrilled with Ben considering coming to college here and all."

He smiled at her.

"I really am."

Rachel set her laptop on the coffee table next to the phone and ran a hand on the side of her husband's face, smiling back. His hair had started to turn gray and she thought it suited him. He was definitely one of those guys who looked more charming and distinctive with age.

"I know how much you miss him. I know it's been hard for you all these years only seeing your older son every few months..."

Rachel's smile faded a bit. Ross turned his face so he could kiss her hand and then wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to him.

"The past few years have been nothing short of perfection." He kissed her on the cheek. "I do miss him and I am happy I'll get to see a lot of him soon. That's just our life, _mon chéri_."

Rachel smiled again and they kissed softly. After they pulled apart, Rachel couldn't help but smile even wider, staring into Ross' eyes. They had just spent the most wonderful days together in Italy. Without the kids, they didn't have a timetable or big plans, they didn't even so much as glance at their watches. Their days were filled with strolls around romantic cities, expensive wine and sex. She couldn't help but feel as in love with him then as she did when they'd gotten married, six years before.

He kissed her hair and she wrapped her arms around him, exhaling softly. They were in silence for a few seconds, until Rachel realized he must be reading Monica's e-mail over her shoulder. She closed her eyes and waited for him to finish.

"She's not coming, huh?"

"Apparently not."

They broke the hug and she looked down.

"I'll talk to her."

"It's fine, Ross."

They were in silence for a few seconds again. Rachel bit her lip.

"Aren't those arguments things she could easily manage? I mean, the twins are straight A students, they've probably never missed a day of school in their whole lives. And they're like 7, how much is a week off school going to matter anyway? If she's worried about their studies, I'm pretty sure they'd learn lots of new things here in the old continent. Or if not, if they absolutely can't miss school, they could stay with your parents. And the thing with the new manager... My birthday is still a whole month away. Isn't that time enough?"

"Don't take this personally, Rach. You know how Monica is."

"She wrote me back the very next morning, Ross. With a final answer. Isn't that kinda of... rushed? It's like she didn't even think about it. Like she didn't even discuss it with Chandler."

"Then maybe she'll think about it and change her mind."

Rachel took a deep breath.

"Maybe."

"Come here."

Ross pulled her towards him again and held her close. She rested on his chest and closed her eyes. They stayed like this for a long time, just enjoying each other's presence, each other's warmth and comfort. Rachel was almost falling into a trance when she felt Ross move a little.

"Hey there, buddy."

"What are you doing?"

Rachel looked up and found Lucas, their three years old son, looking at them. She smiled. He was a gorgeous little boy, it always amazed Rachel how much he looked like his aunt Monica.

"Mommy and Daddy are just hugging for a bit. Wanna join us, sweetheart?"

"Nah."

Ross and Rachel both chuckled softly.

"Where's your sister?"

"In her room, writing Erica a letter."

"Which reminds me you still owe little Joey an answer to that letter he wrote you last week, right?" Ross pointed out.

"Yeah..."

"OK, come on." Ross untangled himself from Rachel's arms and picked up his son. "We can use those new crayons we've brought you from the trip."

Rachel waved and watched them leave with a smile on her face. She took a deep breath and glanced at her laptop.

_Alright, here we go._

She finally saw the rest of the pictures and then started typing.

from: Rachel Geller  
to: Monica Geller B.  
date: Tue, Apr 26, 2011 at 7:32 PM  
subject: Re: Re: My big 40th bash!

Hey Mon!

The pictures are adorable, I can see the twins were a hit, improvisation or not. It seems like Jack has inherited Chandler's kick for a laugh - God help you! They look beautiful as always, you must be very proud. I really miss those little munchkins!

Over here things are great. Our trip was amazing, it was good to take a break from our busy lives and even from the kids. God knows I love them, but there's something so amazing about mini-vacations and sex in the middle of the afternoon...! :) Yes, I know he's your brother and you don't wanna hear details.

I was just thinking about it now though, how it feels like Ross and I have gotten to the very best phase of our lives (so far). We were happy before, of course, but now it's like every thing's fallen into the right place. After we moved to Paris there was so much going on. We had just gotten back together and I have to admit I was still scared to death we were going to break up again. There was also all the adjusting, we couldn't even speak the language properly. We didn't know anybody. I was starting not only a new job, but a whole new life. Well, we all were.

I guess it was kinda like when I left Barry. Except this time I didn't have all of you - you in special. You were my savior back then, Mon. I'll forever be grateful for what you did to me back then. Anyway... I had, in a way, a piece of you, though. I had your brother and we helped each other through this. I still have trouble believing he left everything behind to come with me. I'll forever love him for seeing then how much this meant to me, even when I couldn't see it myself. I never told you this, but it was actually his idea for us to come and live here.

It wasn't always easy. But, as I said, it's like things have all fallen into place now. My job's going great. It's nothing like when I was in Rauph Lauren and eventually hit a place where I couldn't move any further. I've been promoted a few times over here, I feel appreciated. It's amazing. Then there was Ross' job hunt and his academic life... and then, just when we thought things were settling down, along came Lucas. Ross and Rachel, king and queen of unplanned (yet very, very welcome, of course) pregnancies.

Now it finally feels like this is it, though. The new apartment's done, Lucas is no longer a baby, so he doesn't need me all the time anymore. Both Ross and I have great stability. Emma is growing up so fast, sometimes I can see her already as a young woman. She's incredible.

I have a feeling that life at 40 is gonna be pretty damn good and I just wanted you to be here to share this with me, to be happy with me. But if you really can't come, I understand. I love you and I miss you so, so much. Wish you all the best, always. Send news, OK?

Love,

Your sister, Rachel

Rachel closed her laptop, pleased with her writing. That would definitely get Monica to rethink her rushed answer.

She poured herself a glass of wine and took it to the balcony. The new apartment had a really nice view and Rachel never got used to the beauty of her city of residence. Ever since she had moved, she'd acquired a new appreciation for architecture, art and history. Of course New York also had a lot to offer in that department - the MoMA, the Met, the Guggenheim, among so many other museums and historical places. But in Paris it was everywhere, in every corner of every neighborhood, it was in the air she breathed, and it made a difference that this country's history had began long before her birth country was even discovered.

As she enjoyed the view and the chilly wind blowing on her face, she continued to think about her life.

Sometimes it was hard to believe they'd been living in Paris for seven years already. But then again it was hard sometimes to remember life without Lucas, or what it was like before Emma was this amazing kid who could speak perfect French so quickly after the move. It was also hard sometimes to remember what it was like to be single, to see Ross every day just as a friend and not as the great husband he'd been for the past six years.

Of course she still remembered everything she'd lived in New York City, all the good and the bad. She remembered those lazy afternoons in Central Perk with her friends with such fondness sometimes it hurt. If she closed her eyes and focused on it, she could still smell the scent of coffee in the air and hear her friends chatting away, she could almost feel like she was back there again. But when she opened her eyes, she was back in Paris - away from them, but very close to her beautiful son, her amazing daughter and her great husband.

She finished her wine and, after one last long sigh, entered the house closing the door behind her.

On her way to her bedroom, she stopped on Emma's door and knocked.

"Come in."

Rachel opened the door and found Emma on her desk, watercoloring. Her long honey-colored hair was tied in a messy bun and she had her reading glasses perched on the tip of her nose, a look of deep concentration on her beautiful face. She had her own style and at only 9 it always amused Rachel how Emma was so naturally elegant. She smiled, proud as a peacock.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked, coming a little closer.

"Just playing around with the palette you've brought me. It's really good, Mom. _Merci!_"

Rachel looked at her sketchbook and smiled. It was a portrait, a woman with wild hair and kind eyes. Painting and drawing were hobbies of Emma's and she was very good at them. In fact, anything that involved art was among her billions of interests.

"That's really pretty, honey."

"Thanks." Emma muttered as she resumed her work, tilting her head a little to the side as she gently applied a bold shade of red to the subject's lips. Rachel felt like she could watch her daughter forever.

"Lucas said you were writing Erica a letter?"

"It's in the envelope over there."

"Are you done with it?"

"Yes."

It had started a few years ago. As a way to teach Emma to write in English and subsequently keep her practicing it, she, Lucas, Erica, Jack as well as Phoebe's girls Rose and Violet and Joey and Alex's boy Joey Jr. exchanged letters back and forth. It was also a nice way to keep the kids connected.

Rachel grabbed the letter and sat on Emma's bed. Emma stopped painting and turned to face her mother.

"Is it true Ben's coming over?"

"Yes, your father just told me."

Emma smiled.

"Is it also true he's got a girlfriend?"

"So it seems."

"I'm going to tease him endlessly!" She said with delight.

Rachel chuckled.

"You do that and _he'll_ tease you endlessly when you get a boyfriend."

"'Course he won't, he'll be too busy being jealous and all." Emma giggled. "Besides, I still have a few years ahead before I have to worry about that."

"Oh, do you? How about all the boys I see fighting for your attention at school?"

"Oh, please, mom." Emma removed her glasses, walked to her bed and laid down with her head on her mother's lap. "Boys my age are stupid, they're too busy looking for something they can break or something."

Rachel stroked her daughter's hair and laughed, remembering a time when she too found boys her age too immature and stupid.

"You're right. No need to rush there, sweetie." She leaned down and kissed Emma's cheek. "In fact, you should just never get married and be Mom's little girl forever."

Emma scrunched her nose playfully.

"I wouldn't go _that_ far."

They laughed together and spent the next half hour talking, smiling and bonding. When Emma's bed time approached, Rachel left her to get ready to sleep. She gave her daughter a tight hug and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, honey-bunny. Goodnight."

"I love you too. _Bonsoir, maman_."

Rachel closed Emma's door and opened Lucas' slowly. His brand new "big boy bed" could be seen perfectly with the help of his Cat in the Hat night light and Rachel's heart skipped a bit watching her little man as he slept. She smiled and slowly approached the bed, lying down next to him.

He was a deep sleeper, so he didn't so much as stir. His breath was steady and the sound it made was sweet and innocent. Rachel kissed his hair and fought the urge to hug him really tight until his little ribcage gave in. God, she loved him so much.

She thought about his existence and about how everything to do with it had always had lots of happiness involved. With Emma, there was a lot of uncertainty and distress at first. Though Ross never left her alone, Rachel had felt very lonely then. She was unprepared and struggled in the beginning with single motherhood. And of course that didn't make it bad, she associated her daughter's early childhood with growth, as a part of her evolution, per se. It was part of the history that got her where she was now.

Lucas, on the other hand, he'd come from sheer happiness. And though the pregnancy hadn't been planned, it was very celebrated when discovered. Ross and Rachel were so over the moon to have another child together they could hardly stand it. That time, everything was right. They were together, they were married, they were a family ready to expand. They were ready.

And Lucas, well, he was really a delightful gift. Just like his sister Emma, he had been a very good baby, he hardly ever cried or got sick. (A very good thing for Rachel herself since no, she hadn't gotten any less paranoid when it came to her children and diseases). He was growing each day and developing this amazing personality. He was kind, sweet and passionate about things. He won everyone over so easily with just a bat of his long, beautiful eyelashes in a way that amazed Rachel.

"_Mon petit prince." _Rachel whispered. My little prince.

He was growing so fast, she couldn't believe it. Too fast.

She stroked his soft dark brown hair and started feeling old. She and Ross had made a deal, she'd had her tubes tied when she had have a c-section to deliver Lucas (he was in a difficult position, the doctors wanted to be on the safe side). So this was it. It had been Ross' plan since the beginning, a girl and then a boy, and Rachel couldn't have agreed more. Even now she knew this was the perfect settlement for them. But she couldn't help but think about how her decision made her feel a bit older.

She had two beautiful children and she loved them more than she could comprehend. But she would never again have another child. And her "baby" was no longer a baby. Her baby was a smart child who could already express his mind, who had homework from pre-school and didn't need diapers changed.

She took a deep breath and hugged him.

A few minutes later, Rachel opened her and Ross' bedroom door and spotted him reading a book, already in bed. She closed the door and rested against it for a few seconds.

"I'm turning 40." She said, as though this was news to him.

Ross put his book down and looked at his wife.

"Honey, I'm 43."

"Which, in guy year, is like 33."

Ross laughed and Rachel pouted playfully. She knew her little freak outs amused him and he always took his time to talk her out of them.

"Oh, Rach, come on… I mean, look at you. Come here." He stretched his arms towards her and she approached him, holding his hands and sitting next to him. "If everyone looked half as amazing as you do at 40, no one would ever make it a big deal."

Rachel continued to pout and Ross smiled. He pulled her closer and kissed her.

"And that pout just makes you look cuter."

He kissed her again and she smiled softly.

"You didn't freak out." She said.

"What?"

"When you turned 40, you didn't freak out. I mean, when you turned 30 you bought that car and you sort of had a little crisis there going on. But when you turned 40, you didn't."

"No, I didn't."

"Why not?"

Ross squeezed her hands and bit his lips for a few seconds.

"Because, you see, I had this goal of everything I wanted to achieve by the time I was 40. And, sweetie..." He trailed off and smiled at her. "I realized I've reached that goal. And that made me really happy."

Rachel smiled wider.

"And what was that, Mister?"

"Finishing _'War and Peace'_, of course."

Rachel chuckled and playfully hit him with a pillow. He laughed and pulled her closer to him again.

"You know what it was, Rach. You. The kids. Domestic bliss, complaining about the taxes... Perfection."

She nodded and they kissed again.

"So now do you have new goals for the big five-oh?"

He shook his head.

"OK, now you're making _me_ feel old." He said, earning a laugh from Rachel. "Right now all I really wanna think about is my hot wife who would make most 20 year old jealous."

"Yeah? 20?"

"_Oui, Madame_."

Rachel threw her arms around her husband and kissed him. She laid on top of him and when she felt his hand running up her leg she broke their kiss.

"Light some candles?" She whispered.

"Got it." He replied she she got off of him and sprinted to their closet, stopping halfway to look at him with a giddy smile on her face.

They liked to spice thing up from time to time. Of course they still had spontaneous sex, with nothing but themselves to turn each other one on. It worked, they were still madly attracted to one another. Even so, sometimes it was nice to run that extra mile, to put a little more effort to keep things different.

Rachel opened her lingerie drawer and quickly changed into a little something special. In her bathroom, she quickly freshened up and applied a little bit of Ross' favorite _parfume_. Then she kept him waiting a few more seconds just to add a little more excitement to it.

"Rachel?"

She smiled to herself.

In their room, the lights were already off and the candles set a really romantic atmosphere. Ross and Rachel smiled at each other.

"Wow. You look amazing, Rach."

"Thanks. Did you lock the door?"

"Yup."

She reached the bed and climbed on top of Ross, taking her time teasing him before she leaned down and kissed him.

"Your mood sure seems to have improved." He said after they broke.

"It sure has." She kissed him again. "I've written Monica back and I'm hoping it'll change her mind around."

"What did you say?"

"This and that. And I may have stirred her competition spirit a little."

"Really? How?"

"Saying you've been there for me the past few years the way she was there for me when I moved to New York."

He smiled and kissed her deeply.

"And if that doesn't work-" She continued. "I will sorta mention how she's only visited a couple of times while Phoebe has been here three times and Joey's come five times already."

"Cheap shot." Ross said playfully, pulling her down for another kiss. "Now that's it, no more talking about my sister while I do this to you.."

Rachel smiled wider at him.

"Oh yeah? Do what?"

Ross pulled her down again and she giggled, eager to find out.

* * *

OK, first chapter down! :) Hope you liked it. And please don't get too caught up on the whole technicalities thing, with the dates and ages and all. Even the show got messed up there, so you'll have to excuse me too.


	2. Chapter 2

**De L'autre Côté**  
by Tina

* * *

Rachel woke up, as usual, with a kiss on her cheek.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty."

She groaned softly.

"It can't be time yet." She mumbled with a small voice.

Ross laughed.

"Sorry, sweetie, but it is."

Rachel opened her eyes to spot her husband with a towel around his waist on his way into their closet. In just a few minutes, he was out, almost ready for work. Rachel, on the other hand, was still stretching and rubbing sleep off her eyes.

"I'll wake the kids and get breakfast started, OK?"

"OK."

He left the room and Rachel finally found the strength to get up. She was definitely not a morning person, but thankfully Ross was. Not in an annoying way, but in a way that unloaded a lot off of her and allowed her to breath in by herself a little every morning before she started her day.

Their work hours were quite different. Rachel didn't have to go into her office until late morning, while Ross taught a few classes relatively early. Every day they got the kids ready and had breakfast together, then Ross would drive them both to school.

In the afternoon, Ross worked on his researches, Rachel worked at the office and they had a nanny, Céline, who would pick the kids up from school and take them home. Around 5pm Ross arrived home and Rachel at 6pm.

Back in the present, Rachel went into the bathroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth. After she was done, she quickly checked her e-mails on her phone, only to find out that no, Monica still had not written her back. It had been a few days now and Rachel was starting to feel really uneasy about it. Had Monica by any chance felt mad by anything she had said? As soon as she got at work, she had to check her Sent Mail folder and re-read that e-mail, make sure she hadn't said anything that could have been misinterpreted by her best friend.

In the kitchen, Ross was pouring milk into Lucas' cereal bowl while Emma buttered her toast.

"Dad, can Élise come over after school today?" Emma asked.

"Sure. What are you guys gonna do?"

"I wanna say we're gonna study, but truth is she got these cool nail polishes we wanna try out!"

Emma smirked and Ross chuckled.

"You really are your mother's daughter."

"What's nail polish?" Lucas asked, also rubbing sleep off his eyes.

"It's like a paint you use on your nails, _mon coeur_." Emma explained lovingly to her little brother.

"Ohhhh." He paused. "Like _vernis à ongles_?"

"Exactly like it, buddy. Nail polish is the name in English." Ross said.

"Ohhhh." He said again, knowingly.

Ross chuckled again, it was funny seeing his son learning two languages at the same time.

Rachel entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Morning."

"_Bonjour, maman_."

Rachel kissed the top of Emma's and Lucas' heads and then Ross' lips.

"Mommy, I just learned a new word!"

"Oh, really? What is it?"

"Nail polish!"

"Oh, how exciting, honey!" She turned to Ross. "Why were you talking about nail polish though?"

"Élise is coming over after school." Emma said, as though that explained everything.

"Ahh." Rachel answered knowingly, exactly like her son. It did.

Emma and Lucas resumed eating their breakfast and Ross turned to Rachel.

"Hey, I have an idea."

"What?"

"What do you say I meet you at your work today and take you out to lunch?"

Rachel smiled.

"I say _'_Ross Geller, are you inviting me on a date?_'_" She said teasingly.

Ross laughed.

"Well, I guess I am."

"I'm in."

"Mom, can boys wear nail polish?"

"Nooo, no, no, honey." Ross rushed to answer his son, earning a look from Rachel. "What, do you _want_ him to wear nail polish?"

"If he wants to."

Ross shot her a look a Rachel smiled.

"Come on, Ross, it's not like you haven't."

Ross couldn't help but laugh.

"I knew you'd keep bringing this up for the rest of our lives."

"Dad's worn nail polish?" Emma asked, one of her eyebrows raised.

Ross shot Rachel another look.

* * *

At noon, Ross picked Rachel up and they walked together to a restaurant nearby. Her office was in the Louis Vuitton building in the Avenue de Champs-Elysée, which meant they had varied choices in the food department.

"Shall we go to that Italian place?" He asked.

"Yeah, they've got good salads." She answered, wrapping her arm around his.

They walked in silence for a while, peacefully, until Rachel's cell phone rang. She picked it up and looked at the screen.

"It's Joey." She said, smiling and tapping the screen on right spot to answer it. "Hey, Joe! _Ça va_?"

She laughed and exchanged pleasantries for a few seconds with her friend, letting go of Ross' arm and letting her hand run down until she could hold his. She gave it a squeeze and smiled at him.

"Joey says he's got big news." She said to Ross. "Wanna go on speaker phone, Joey?" There was a pause. "OK, just a sec." She tapped the screen again. "OK, you're on."

"Hey, Ross! How are you doing, man?"

"Hey, Joey. Can't complain." He answered smiling at his wife.

"Yeah? Is Rachel treating you good?"

"Excuse me? He's the one supposed to be treating me well here!"

Ross and Joey laughed.

"Yeah, she's treating me good, Joe. And I'm treating her good too."

Ross kissed the top of Rachel's head and she smiled.

"How's Alex and Joey Jr.?"

"They're good, every thing's good."

"Now what's the big news?" Rachel said, growing inpatient.

"Well, OK. Are you ready?"

"Just say it already!" She rushed him.

"Now, see, with that attitude I'm just gonna end up waiting to tell you. According to the doctors, I still got about 7 months left for that anyway."

"Oh my God!"

"Joey! Oh, congratulations, man!"

"What, I didn't even say anything yet."

"Wait." Rachel said. "Alex is pregnant, isn't that it?"

"Did Monica call you and ruined my surprise?" Joey enquired, still not getting it.

"You called her first?" Rachel retorted.

"Mm." Joey paused. "No?" He said innocently, obviously lying.

Rachel took a deep breath and Ross smiled at her.

"Missing the point here, Rach." He whispered.

"Oh, Joey... Congratulations. We're so happy for you guys!"

"Yeah, man. Wow, this is great. Send our best regards to Alex, OK?"

"I will. We're still trying to figure out a way to tell Little Joey, though."

"Good luck there."

"Got any advice, as parents of two?"

"Not really. Emma was already six years old when Lucas came, she was pretty thrilled to be a big sister herself. She had just asked Santa for a sibling that previous Christmas."

"Yeah, that's not very helpful for me." Joey said, earning chuckles from Ross and Rachel.

"As I said, good luck."

"Thanks. Well, anyway... I just called to fill you in on the big news."

"Thanks, Joey."

"I'll talk to you guys later, see about setting a date for my next visit."

"Yes, Emma really misses you and so does your godson."

By the time they had finished exchanging their goodbyes, Ross and Rachel had reached the door to the restaurant, which had a nice view of the Arc de Triomphe. They asked for a table for two and were seated right away.

"Wow. Can you believe Joey is gonna be a father for the second time?"

"Sometimes I still find it hard to believe he got married in the first place."

Ross laughed.

"I know. I'm happy Joey's found someone who's managed to quiet him down - and so happily."

"I know, right? Specially someone like Alex."

The waiter approached them, introduced himself and gave them the menus. Ross noticed when Rachel pulled her phone again and checked her e-mails before paying any attention to the menu.

"Waiting for something?"

"It's nothing. It's just that I e-mailed Monica that night and she still hasn't written me back."

"Maybe she's been busy."

"Yeah." Rachel answered, still disappointed.

"So... I spoke to Carol today and Ben and his girlfriend have already booked their plane tickets."

"Good."

"They get here in three weeks and will stay for about 15 days, meaning they'll be here for your birthday."

"Oh, good. You should know I'm rethinking the whole big party thing now though."

"Because of Monica?"

"No. No, of course not, Ross."

Ross smiled and Rachel shot him an annoyed look.

"What?" She demanded.

"Nothing, I didn't say anything."

"Like you have to. What's with the look?"

He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"It's nothing, Rach."

He checked his watch and, as on a cue, his cell phone, which was resting on the table between them, rang. He looked at the screen and then pushed it towards Rachel.

"I think you wanna get that."

Rachel looked at it and got confused, but smiled nonetheless.

"Hey, Mon." She spoke into it. "We were just talking about you."

"OK, Missy, you just got yourself a whole week of Geller-Bing coming in about four weeks."

"What?"

"We're coming. All four of us. So you better have a fun party prepared there, alright?"

Rachel opened a big smile.

"Are you serious?"

"Did you expect any less after that e-mail you wrote me? I still have to kick my brother's ass for taking you to France… But I also gotta be there to hold your hand when you officially turn 40, 'cause I have a feeling just his so precious support won't do it."

Rachel laughed despite the tears in her eyes.

"Thanks!" She answered sarcastically.

"Anyway. It took me a few days to get back at you because we were still planning it and going after plane tickets and talking to the twin's teachers. Everything's set now."

"I can't wait! Thank you, so much, Mon."

There was a silence.

"Come on, Rach. This is what sisters are for."

After a few more sentimental words and happy tears, Rachel hung up the phone. She looked at her husband and smiled.

"So that's what the smile was about." She said.

"We're back to planning a party then?"

"Definitely."

They smiled at each other and a silence followed.

"OK, now I wanna talk to Phoebe too." Rachel said, picking up her phone to call her friend.

No matter how long they lived away, it seemed like nothing would break the bond between them. Ross smiled as he marveled on the beauty of that thought.

* * *

Rachel got home that night and found Emma and Lucas watching TV together. Lucas was leaning against his sister and looking sleepy, while she ruffled his hair. The sight brought a smile to Rachel's face.

"Good evening, my babies."

Lucas immediately "woke up", hopped off the couch and ran to Rachel's open arms.

"Mom!"

She hugged him really tight.

"Hi, _ma chère_. How was your day?"

"Good."

She picked him up and he wrapped himself around her.

"How about you, Em? How was your day?"

"_Très fatigant_." She said, a little dramatically. "But good. Yours?"

"It was good too. Where's Élise?"

"She left already. Oh, and look." Emma showed her mother her newly painted nails, a very beautiful and bold brown shade. "Like it?"

"Love it." She paused, considering it. "On an adult though. Honey, isn't that a little-"

"No, it's perfect." Emma said, cutting her mother. She wasn't aggressive, she just seemed hurt to be disapproved. Rachel shot her a look and Emma deflated a little. "I'm sorry. I just meant to say I like it. Is it OK?"

"It's OK. Just try not to cut my sentences next time we don't agree on something, Emma. You have to listen to people. If you don't, you're being disrespectful."

"I'm sorry."

"And I'm your mother, Em. If I don't approve of something, you have to listen to me."

"Do you want me to remove it?" She asked, defeated.

"Don't fight." Lucas said, watching everything apprehensively from her mother's arms.

"Baby, we're not fighting." She turned to her daughter. "No, it's fine, hon." Rachel kissed the top of her head. "You're way beyond your years on so many ways, anyway… Where's your dad?"

"Will this one do?" He said, entering from their bedroom, already changed from his work clothes.

Rachel smiled and shrugged.

"If that's my only option, then you'll have to do."

"Funny."

They kissed.

"Have you told the kids yet?"

"Told us what?" Emma asked.

"No, not yet."

"Told us what?" Lucas copied his sister's question.

"OK, Aunt Monica, Uncle Chandler, Jack and Erica and coming to visit in about a month."

"Really?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. What's with the surprise?"

"It's just that they haven't been here since before Lucas was even born."

"Yes, it's been a while."

"And they're all coming?"

"Yeah."

"When does Ben get here?"

"In three weeks. He and his girlfriend will be here for a week before they all arrive and then everyone will be here together for one week."

"Oh, OK."

"You don't seem very excited." Rachel noted.

"I really miss Aunt Monica and Uncle Chandler." She said.

"And your cousins?"

Emma took her time to answer.

"They're fine, mom. They're just... you know."

"What?"

"They can be a bit too much to take sometimes."

"Honey, they're just younger."

"OK, call it that if you want."

"Emma. Honey, you can't expect everyone to be the way you are or see things the way you do."

"Mom, they're spoiled."

"They're your family, honey. Besides, I don't get it. You're always writing to them and all."

"Because I have to." Emma answered and Rachel almost gasped, surprised. How could her and Monica's kids not be close like they were? "And in the letters we just talk about whatever, you know? When we're together, it's different. We have to like… interact. It's harder, mom."

"They break my toys, mommy." Lucas chipped in.

Rachel looked at her kids and sighed.

Later that night, Ross and Rachel were getting ready to bed and Rachel still couldn't get that talk out of her head.

"Can you believe what Emma said tonight?" She asked Ross.

He took his time to answer.

"Actually, yes. Rach, Jack and Erica are my nephew and niece and I love them very much. But they can be a bit tough to take. But, I mean, it's totally understandable. Monica had wanted them for so long and-"

"So you think she spoils them?"

"You're saying it like it's a crime, Rach. I'm sure Monica is doing her best and she's giving these kids a lot of love. And it's not our place to judge or anything here. They're happy kids and Monica is happy with them. The kids are kids, they'll settle everything themselves. Didn't you ever have a bratty cousin when you were a kid who then grew up to be a good friend? I mean, even Monica and I would drive each other crazy when we were kids."

"Do you think I spoil our kids?" She asked, as though she had heard nothing he'd said.

Ross smiled and took one of her hands.

"No, Rach, I don't. They're good kids. I mean, I know I would say that even if they were spoiled, but... We're doing a good job here, OK?"

Rachel nodded.

"OK."

"Now let's go to bed, tomorrow will be a long day and we have to start preparing for your birthday party."

That brought a smile to her face.

"You're right. My party. My 40th birthday party."

OK, it was sort of a bittersweet smile.

* * *

OK, first of all, I wanna thank you all so much. The response the first chapter got was beyond my expectations! You guys are great :) Sorry this chapter has taken some time to get done, but this was a very busy week for me - work, exams, MBA classes...! *sigh* Oh, real life.

Anyway. This site "ate" so much of what I wrote on the first chapter :( Not really dialogues and stuff, just little details like e-mails and all. It doesn't affect the story, but I'll try to pay closer attention to that from now on.

I'm starting to realize a lot of people who love Monica and Chandler might not like me very much because of this story. You should know I have nothing against them and my plan is not to trash them or anything. I suggest you either trust me or stop reading. But you should trust me :)

OK, see you next chapter, hope you liked this and review if you can!


	3. Chapter 3

**De L'autre Côté  
**by Tina

* * *

After three weeks filled with lots of planning, the Geller-Green family was at the Charles de Gaulle airport waiting for the arrival of Ben and his girlfriend.

"They should've come out by now." Ross said, checking his watch for the millionth time over the last five minutes.

Rachel smiled and ran a hand up his back reassuringly. She paused at his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Calm down, honey, they're coming."

A group of people gathered up in front of them and Lucas tugged on his father's hand.

"Daddy, I can't see anything."

"Alright, come here, buddy." He said, picking him up.

At that moment, they saw Ben and a girl passing by on the other side of the automatic sliding doors on their way to the luggage belt. Ben spotted them too and opened a smile before the doors slid shut again.

"Wow. Is it just me or he grew a whole foot since we last saw him?" Ross asked.

"It sure looks like it. He looks older and so handsome." Rachel added.

"He looks the same to me." Emma said. "Well, we Skype a lot." She gloated.

Rachel laughed and Ross smiled. He knew Ben and his sister kept in contact and it made him unabashedly proud, especially considering the age difference, the distance and so much more.

"The girlfriend looks beautiful too. By the way, we should probably start calling her by her real name." Rachel said.

Ross chuckled.

"Yeah. Her name's Helena."

"Very pretty."

"So my boy's got good taste, huh?"

Rachel smiled.

"Good taste runs in the family, honey."

She got on the tip of her toes and kissed him on his left temple. He smiled at her.

A few more minutes passed and then Ben and Helena exited together, each pushing a cart with their luggage. When they reached their party, Ben stepped forward to greet his family first.

Rachel understood Ben should greet his father first, have a little moment of their own, so she took Lucas from Ross' arms.

"Hey, dad."

"Son."

Rachel smiled and couldn't help but tear up a bit when Ross and Ben hugged. She always got pretty emotional when she watched them saying their hellos and goodbyes. Instinctively, she held Lucas very tight.

The guys broke their hug, smiled knowingly at each other and Ben turned to Rachel. She smiled brightly at him.

"Hi, sweetie. Welcome to Paris, again."

They hugged, carefully not to squish Lucas.

"Thanks, Rachel. How are you?"

"I'm great. Even better now that you guys are here."

Ben turned to Lucas.

"Hi, Lucas."

Lucas smiled shyly.

"Hi."

Rachel looked at her son and shook her head slightly.

"Give him an hour and he'll be your best friend again. He's still pretty sleepy right now..."

"How was your flight?" Ross asked.

"Good, very good. Just, you know, long."

They smiled and Ben turned to his sister.

"What about you, kiddo? Come here."

Ben opened his arms and Emma happily walked into them.

"Hey, Ben."

"Smashing too many hearts at school yet?"

Emma laughed.

Rachel finally turned her attention to Helena. In all honesty, she looked like a supermodel. She had really long blonde hair and was almost as tall as Ben. She was very thin and white, especially in contrast with her dark clothes. She was wearing a dark gray harem jumpsuit, a black leather jacket and black open toe ankle boots. Rachel smiled, taking it all in. It would be very easy to find a way to bond with this girl.

"I bet you're driving all your guy friends crazy, huh? _Uh-lala, mon amour, je t'aime_." Ben was mimicking, teasing Emma.

Emma giggled.

"You're saying it wrong."

"It's not wrong, I looked it up."

"Well, you're _saying_ it wrong, with your _American_ accent."

Ben laughed.

"…said the French brat."

Emma shrugged and said something in French.

"I have no idea what you just said." Ben said.

"Exactly." She said, smugly.

Ben shook his head, smiling.

"OK, Helena, come meet my family. Guys, this is Helena. Helena, this is my dad, Ross Geller."

"Hey, nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"This is his wife Rachel, taught me all the cool pranks and dirty words I know."

Rachel gasped a little.

"Ben!"

Ross laughed.

"Come on, Rach, it's true. You were Fun Aunt Rachel and you dug that."

"Nice to meet you, Helena. Please don't listen to the boys, I'm not as bad as they're gonna make me seem, OK?"

Helena smiled at her.

"Don't worry, I've already been vaccinated against believing guys like that." She said with a wink.

"And this is my little brother Lucas and my annoying sister Emma."

"Hey!" Emma complained, earning a playful face from her brother.

"It's really nice to meet you all. Thank you so much for having me here." Helena said sincerely.

"It's a pleasure. Welcome to Paris." Ross said.

Rachel turned to her son.

"Lucas, what do you say?"

"_Bienvenue à Paris_."

Helena nodded, smiling.

"_Merci beaucoup_."

"_Parlez-vous Français_?" Emma asked, excited.

"_Oui, je parle Français_."

Ben rolled his eyes jokingly.

"Yeah, this is fun. Everyone here speaks French but me."

"Did you learn it in the States?" Rachel asked.

"Just a little bit. Couple of years ago I came here to Paris on an exchange program, so... Yeah, I can speak the language pretty well, it's beautiful." She turned to Ben. "_C'est beau_."

They smiled at each other.

"So, are you guys feeling too tired?" Ross said as they started their way to the parking lot.

"Very!" Ben answered, putting his arm around Helena's waist.

"Well, you know you shouldn't sleep or else it'll take you longer to get over the time difference. We were thinking about already taking you guys to some places and enjoy this beautiful day outside, if you're up for it."

Ben and Helena looked at each other and nodded.

"Sure, sounds like a great idea."

"Well so then everyone here's been to Paris before?"

"Yeah, it seems like it." Ben said.

"Oh good, that'll make things easier."

They had a snack at a cafe and then took a long walk along the Seine, occasionally stopping for pictures and to admire the scenery. It was a truly beautiful day in a truly beautiful city.

Helena carried a big camera and looked really concentrated with it. Rachel could see she and Emma were already starting to bond, with the oldest snapping pictures of her daughter now and then.

"So you like photography, Helena?"

"Yes. It's one of my hobbies."

"Helena's an artist." Ben said.

"Oh, don't exaggerate. I just like artsy stuff."

"Me too!" Emma said. "When I grow up, I wanna be an artist slash model."

"I thought you'd given up on the model thing after watching that reality show, hon." Rachel said.

Emma considered it and nodded.

"They're so mean to one another." She explained to Helena, who chuckled.

"Hey, and what happened to the scientist thing?" Ross asked.

Emma laughed.

"Come on, dad. You won't let it go, will you? I was five."

"But I thought you were gonna be my little scientist girl."

Emma smiled adoringly at her father.

"Are you gonna tell me the story of my first word again?"

Rachel laughed.

"OK, OK... How about you, Lucas? Will you be my scientist man?"

Lucas took a deep breath, as if putting a lot of consideration into that thought.

"I wanted to be like that man on "Jurassic Park", Dad."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, really." He said, in an adorable serious way that always made them smile like crazy. "But then my teacher said people don't _really_ bring dinosaurs back to life, you know? And without that it just sounds kind of boring. You know?"

Rachel couldn't control her laughter and Ross shot her a look.

"I'm sorry but I have to say this: oh snap! High five, buddy."

Rachel high fived her son, who smiled even though he didn't really understand what they were high fiving for.

"Alright, alright. Gang up on me."

Ben, Emma and Helena had gotten a little farther away by now. They were reaching the _Cathédrale_ Notre Dame and had stopped again to admire it. Lucas ran up to them and Rachel watched him go with a smile on her face.

Ross hugged her from behind.

"That kid's so funny without even realizing it." He said.

"He's really smart. Like his mom, I mean. Not like his dad, who has a boring job apparently."

She laughed again and he kissed her neck.

"Don't mock me, woman." He whispered to her.

"I will if you keep reprehending me like that."

He let go of her, turned her around and they smiled at each other. She saw all the happiness he was feeling crystal clear in his eyes, he could be so transparent to her sometimes. It made her smile more, made her feel even happier than she already did herself.

They leaned closer for a slow kiss, while holding each other tight. She broke it when she thought he was getting maybe a bit too into it.

"Mm, the kids, honey." She whispered.

"I know. It's just... I mean, just look at this city. I can't get over how romantic it is. I'm out here and I just wanna hug you and kiss you and... do other things to you."

"Wow." She hugged his lower back tighter. "We should tour more often."

He laughed.

"Is there really need for it though, truthfully?"

"Nah. You love me _plenty_ already!" She said in a corky way.

He laughed and they kissed one more time.

"I know what you mean though." She took a deep breath and looked around. "I can't get over how romantic it is here either. I hope I never do."

"I won't let you."

She smiled at him. They looked around and saw the kids together. Ben was holding Lucas and was showing him something on the other side of the river, both leaning against the railings.

"I'm so happy Ben's here." Ross said.

"Yeah. Me too. And he looks really happy too. And Helena looks pretty comfortable with the kids, that's nice."

"Rach?"

"Yeah?"

She turned her eyes back to his and found him a bit more serious.

"Do I ever thank you enough for being the amazing wife you are?"

She smiled and blushed a little.

"What? Come on, Ross... I'm not even doing anything."

"But you are. You always welcome my son with such open arms and affection."

"Well, I love him, Ross. He's your son and he's my kids' big brother. I would love him for that alone and on top of that he's such a great kid."

"See, you're so naturally good. And from what I see Helena already likes you a lot too."

She smiled.

"OK, I'm not gonna argue then. I'm awesome."

He chuckled.

"You certainly are. You're _magnifique_!"

They kissed again.

"Come on, love birds." Emma called. "We wanna go into the Notre Dame."

"Alright, let's go."

After a long day, they all went home and ordered in. After dinner, they gathered around the coffee table in the living room for a couple of matches of Monopoly. Emma baffled them a little by easily winning both.

Lucas was sleeping on the couch and Rachel opened them a tin of fine biscuits, which they ate as they chatted. She noticed a different exchange of looks passing through Ben and Helena and was curious to know what that was about. Suddenly, Ben stood up and looked at his father.

"Dad, can I... Can I talk to you, alone, for a minute?"

Ross exchanged a brief confused look with Rachel and stood up.

"Sure. We can go into the office."

"OK."

Rachel watched them leave, her curiosity scratching her a bit more.

"What's that about?" Emma asked.

"No idea."

Rachel turned to look at Helena, who looked innocent.

"So how did you guys meet?" She asked.

"Sorry?"

"You and Mr. Geller. How did you meet?"

"Oh, honey, don't call him that. It'll make me think I'm married to his dad."

They chuckled together. Rachel paused and considered her next few words. She knew Helena was just making small talk to divert the attention. But she did look sort of genuine and now Emma was also looking expectant. She realized then her daughter didn't know their whole story of how their parents got together - and, really, that's how it should remain. Still, there was stuff she could still share with them.

"Well... It's a long story. But, to make it short, I met Ross in high school. See, I was his sister's best friend and that's how we met. But back then I didn't really like him, even though I knew he had a crush on me."

"Dad had really bad hair and an awful mustache!" Emma explained.

"Yes. He really did." Rachel said, smiling fondly. "Anyway..." She continued. "After high school we didn't see much of each other, though. I saw him and his sister just occasionally, until eventually we lost touch. Then I got engaged to someone else, this guy named Barry."

"You were engaged to someone else?" Emma asked.

"Yup. It really wasn't a big deal, though. Barry and I weren't right for each other. So on my wedding day I ran out the window, wedding gown and all, and went after Monica."

"You ran out the window on your wedding day? Wow."

"Yeah. It was... something. I was very confused. I was pretty spoiled and it was good for me to get out of that and start building my life myself, you know? Anyway. Ross had gotten married to Carol and was then getting a divorce, while Ben was on the way. We became really good friends and after a good year and a half we started dating."

"A year and a half later? What took you so long?"

"Well, let's just say _things_ got in the way."

"Well, that's cute. So you've been together ever since?"

Rachel chuckled.

"Oh no. We were together for exactly a year and then we broke up."

"Oh." Emma said, disappointed. "Why?"

Rachel took her time to answer.

"It wasn't the right time. I was more focused on my career, I had just started working with fashion and I had all these crazy hours... Ross, well... Ross wanted more of me than I could give t the time. It just wasn't the right time for us, we were both focused on different things." She noticed the disappointed look on her daughter's face. "Honey, you know we get together at the end, don't worry."

Emma half smiled.

"I know."

"And how did you get back together?"

"Well. We stayed friends, of course. We'd see each other everyday and we always knew there was a possibility of something happening again. I still loved him very much and I know he loved me too. But then he married someone else..."

"Emily?" Emma asked.

"Yes. Emily. It didn't last, though. And of course I had boyfriends too. It was just hard because I would always compare them to Ross and... Let's just say that's just not fair." Rachel thought about it and decided to leave their Vegas wedding out of it. "When we got back together for good, it was right after I lost my job in New York. Then I ran into a friend who also worked at Louis Vuitton and he knew about this job opening here in Paris and I got it. So we were ready to leave, just Emma and me."

"It was going to be just you and me here?" Emma asked her mother.

"Yeah, babe. But then your father asked me to stay. He told me he loved me and I loved him too. So we stayed in New York with him."

"Wow. What a great story."

"Yeah. A major part of my life involves this man and our relationship."

"So how did you end up in Paris?"

"Well..." Rachel took a deep breath. "Staying in New York proved to be tough not just for me, unemployed and all, but for Ross too. We had this really tight group of friends and everybody started moving and having kids and having this other life... We didn't move. We had Emma and we wanted to take it slow. And it just felt really weird being there, you know? And then... Ross was the one who came up with the idea. The Louis Vuitton offer was still standing and I decided what the heck, right? I mean, I was really excited about Paris before and the only thing that made me want to give that up was Ross. If he was coming with me, then this would be perfect." She looked at Emma and put an arm around her. "And perfect it is."

She looked up at Helena, who had a wondering look on her face.

"Wait, so... When exactly did Emma come into the picture?"

Rachel chuckled and looked away.

"That would be around the time of the possibilities and all..."

"Grandpa Green says I was born out of a wedlock!" Emma says proudly, which made Rachel chuckle. Perhaps she didn't understand that wasn't necessarily something to be boasting around, telling people.

"Yeah. You were, honey."

"Then I got to be a flower girl at their wedding." She continued boasting. "Ben was the ring bearer. Wanna see the pictures?"

Helena chuckled.

"I'm definitely gonna want to see that sometime. In fact, I saw one in a frame that looked gorgeous."

"Thanks. We got married about a year after we moved here. All of our friends and family came over, it was so nice."

"Why did you have it here and not back in the states?"

"I guess this felt like our place, you know? The place for this new phase of our lives. We've fit in so well, we're so happy here. It may sound silly, but sometimes I fear spending even more than a couple of weeks over there. I love New York, but... I can't really explain it."

"It might just be that Paris is more romantic." Helena suggested.

Rachel smiled, remembering her husband earlier that day.

"Yeah."

A few minutes later, Ross and Ben exited the office and went into the living room. Rachel looked at Ross in search of an answer and what his eyes told her was that she would have to wait a little bit more.

"Well, I guess I'll put Lucas into bed now and call it a night. I'm getting too old for days like today." He said.

Rachel smiled and stood up.

"I'm calling it a night too. Emma, honey, don't go to bed too late, OK? You have school tomorrow and you can't miss it. You're already gonna skip a whole week while Aunt Monica and Uncle Chandler are here."

"Chill, mom. It's only 8:40 now."

Rachel turned to Ross.

"Wow, you really are old."

"_We_ are."

"Well, _I'm_ still on my thirties, thank you very much."

He laughed.

"Enjoy the next couple of weeks then."

She smiled and said their goodnights to everyone. Ross went to put Lucas into bed while Rachel started her night ritual. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, brushed her hair and was applying face cream when Ross entered the bedroom. She exited the bathroom and looked at her husband. His face was unreadable now.

"Everything OK?"

"Yeah."

"So what was that about?"

"Well... Apparently, Helena is going to university here in Paris. She got accepted early and she's gonna study architecture. Apparently it's been a dream of hers ever since she lived here."

"Oh." Rachel said, a little unsure of where this was leading to. "Good for her."

"Ben, on the other hand... He said he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. And he told me he didn't want to leave Helena. He said he loves her, told me all about her family and how her mom died when she was young and her dad is this rich guy who is never there and would rather pay for her to live somewhere else than to have to deal with her..."

"Wow."

"He seemed... naive, yes. But also determined and in love."

"So what does that mean? He's definitely coming to live here?"

"He wants to take a gap year."

"A gap year? Like a time out from study?"

"Yeah. He said he'll get a job, rent a flat and travel whenever he can."

"Wow. What did you say to that? I mean... I know how much all this academic thing is important to you."

"I said he shouldn't decide anything now. Said we should wait and see how things go over the next couple of weeks, so we can think about it and... well, digest it better."

"OK, yeah. That sounds wise." She approached him and took his hand on hers. "But, honey, how do you feel about it?"

He looked up at her and smiled softly.

"Is it crazy that I don't think _this_ is crazy?"

Rachel smiled.

"Really?"

"You know what's weird? A few years ago, I would totally disapprove of this. The kid needs his education, I don't want him to lose his focus." He paused. "But... Ever since we've moved here, I've began to understand the importance of traveling and being less career driven. There's nothing like living a little bit more to make you understand who you are, you know?"

"I totally agree."

"And besides... It's not like he won't get his education. He promised me he does want to get a degree, he just needs some time out. And he'll be around us more and the kids are going to love that."

"You're not gonna use that to gloat around Susan, are you?"

Ross smiled at her.

"That's just an extra bonus."

Rachel shook her head.

"You know, for a moment there when they were exchanging looks before Ben called you, I thought they were going to ask if they could sleep in the same room."

"Really? You think they...?"

"Ross, I don't know. Maybe you can have another memorable dad-son moment tomorrow talking about that." She teased.

* * *

Wow, this has taken me forever to write, sorry! As you may know, I live in Brazil and this week we had Carnival. Major holiday in Brazil. So I took a few days off and went on a little trip :) But I'm back now and really excited to write more and more!

I'm a very visual person and I couldn't really start writing this until I had just the right image of Ben and Helena in my head. If you want in on my vision, I'll tell you that in my head she's a mixture of Mia Wasikowska with Blake Lively. Not that I'm a fan of either (neither do I dislike them), it's just how I pictured her. Ben was tricky because I don't see him as the Sprouse twins. In my head he's older, taller and more adult.

Anyway. See you guys next chapter! :)


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